Kim Possible to lead high-tech adventures at Epcot

[blackcauldron85]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business ... 7620.story
(via LaughingPlace.com)

Kim Possible to lead high-tech adventures at Epcot

Dewayne Bevil | Sentinel Staff Writer
August 29, 2008

Erupt the volcano in the Mexico pavilion, blow a puff of smoke from a chimney in Norway, make a jade monkey appear in China.

Those are among the 50 special effects created for Epcot's Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, a high-tech scavenger hunt that will debut in "late fall," according to Disney officials. The animated Disney Channel heroine will guide participants through world-saving missions via a "Kimmunicator," a hand-set that could pass as a cell phone in the real world.

"You hit the OK button, and something happens for you," said Jeannette Lomboy-Russo, an Imagineer who previewed elements of the attraction during a behind-the-scenes tour. Each of seven countries presents a different adventure, storyline and villain. Each mission will take 45 minutes to an hour to complete, and will be contained within a single pavilion. Players won't be scurrying all over World Showcase to save the world.

"It brings technology -- without being invasive -- from the Future World environment into World Showcase," said Jim MacPhee, Walt Disney World's vice president for Epcot.

It will add a youth-driven activity to the World Showcase, which features many shopping and dining opportunities. Participating pavilions will be Mexico, Norway, China, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.

"Particularly for children, it's very empowering," Imagineer Jonathan Ackley said. "The kid is essentially controlling the theme-park environment."

The activity is included in regular theme-park admission. A similar Kim Possible attraction had a smaller test run at Epcot in 2006.

Popular characters from the TV series are included in the Kimmunicator's videos, but some original characters were created for the attraction.

Return of the devices was scripted into the stories' finale. Lomboy-Russo compared it to the 18th hole of miniature golf, which typically conspires to keep the ball at the end of the round.

Epcot purists might be alarmed by the cultural contrast of World Showcase and a scrappy animated crime fighter. The Imagineers said their plans were designed to blend with the pavilions' atmospheres and not alarm nonplayers. Ackley called it "an invisible Get Smart overlay."

The theming and structures of the pavilions served as a base for the attraction.

"We didn't want it to detract," said Lomboy-Russo. "I think the two fit seamlessly together. I'm proud of the fact that people don't notice."

[slave2moonlight]

That actually sounds pretty neat, and I'm so glad to hear they are keeping Kim Possible going! I adore her! I wish they'd give her a stinkin' DVD set. Anyways, I'm a bit of an EPCOT purist myself, and I'm a little uncomfortable knowing that most of the new stuff they do seems to be part of making the parks more kiddie-oriented, and it's particularly worrysome when it involves World Showcase, though I think even some adults COULD enjoy this and I like that it is supposedly non-intrusive (and doesn't cost extra).

What I don't love about this sort of thing is that I view it more as something for folks who have year-round passes or at least take many or longer visits than the regular person, because when we go, even devoting a day to each park and having an extra day for Magic Kingdom or park hopping, my family would never see this as something we had time to do (and I'd probably be the only one who wanted to bother doing it, ha).

[JaceDisney91]

Well it doesn't sound like they're making it a necessity (as in, you *have* to do this thing when anybody goes into Epcot) so I'm not going to complain.

I'll be visiting Epcot's World Showcase several times over on my trip next year so I might even give it a go eventually if I'm up for it!